Yes, I know it's been a while, but here it is for your viewing enjoyment!

Disclaimer: I own PT and that's about it. S.E. Hinton owns the Outsiders

So this was it. This is what it felt like to loose all control of your life. I didn't like it, not one bit, but there wasn't exactly anything I could do about it. I looked around the rest of the darkened room and wondered how the rest of these kids could sleep on the horribly lumpy mattresses with the odd one making noises and shaking the bed when she or he rolled over. I had given up on sleep a long time before hand and had taken to looking at the moon until a stray cloud went and covered it. It was the last part of the world I had experienced and taken joy in living until this morning.

I sighed and put my head on my knees. Usually I could think myself out of any situation, but there didn't look to be anyway out of this one that didn't end up with someone at the tip of my knife.

"Tomorrow your uncle will come and you'll live in a real home…"

The words still reverberated through my skull like the ringing of a bell. Someone I couldn't remember ever meeting would come and take me away to live somewhere I didn't want to be. I remembered the last time that happened. It had been an aunt then… Aunt June…That sounded right. Living in her trailer had been a far cry from a real home. She smoked, she drank and she hit. If this was the trend of the family, I had no doubts in my mind that I would be on the road again in a day flat.

I sighed and leaned my head back against the wall. The little girl in the bunk over mine let out a whimper in her sleep and I shuddered. I hated this place. It just brought back so many memories. I remembered being that little girl once. I remembered not being able to sleep in one of these rooms with ten others. When I did fall asleep from exhaustion I could remember having nightmares and shaking from them afterwards…

Too restless to sit anymore, I stood up from the creaky bunk bed and treaded softly to the window. They didn't put bars on it, but I knew it wouldn't open anyways. I sat down on the sill and pulled my bare feet up from the cold floor. I could see the grass and trees two stories bellow and the odd car that drove across the street from where I sat. It helped some, to know that things hadn't changed out there. I sighed and pulled my coat comfortably around myself. They'd given me some nightclothes, but I had ignored them. They didn't smell right. I sniffed at the worn material of the coat and relaxed a bit. Campfires, dirt and Sam with a bit of Two-Bit's aftershave. I smiled at the thought of the rusty haired greaser and wondered if I would ever see him again. Yesterday I would have been happy to have packed up without a goodbye, but tonight I thought about him as my friend and I could use one. He'd know by now that I'd been hauled away and he'd probably moved on with his life. I was going to have to, as well. I closed my eyes, contented with the familiar scents and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning I heard my uncle before I saw him. The voice was one of gruffness. I already knew I wouldn't like him. He'd been in Mr. Michaels' office for the better part of an hour. Probably filling out paperwork and negotiating how much he was going to get for taking me in, I thought. He'd been in there since before I was sat down to wait. I hadn't seen him and I could only hope he was kind or stupid. Either way I was going to see Florida by Christmas.

Mr. Michaels' secretary picked up her phone from time to time. It didn't look like she did much legwork, but she did get up to show me into his office. That was when I got the first glance at my uncle. He had white-blonde hair, like mine, and cold blue eyes. He was my father's height, but he looked like Aunt June had: Mean. I stood my full height and tried not to look like I was intimidated. I was just by looking at him. He was so familiar, but still a perfect stranger. I had no idea what to expect and it made me wary.

"Ah, here's your niece now. Jocelyn, this is your uncle Jebb," Mr. Michaels introduced

I was looked over with those cold eyes and nodded to. I hadn't expected a hug or a handshake or anything, but Mr. Michaels looked like he had been. He shrugged after a minute and started going through the papers on his desk.

"We'll be sending you home with your check now. The next one will be coming along about the first of the month. A state worker will be in about that time to check in on how you all are doing," Mr. Michaels explained "You may take her home now."

Uncle Jebb looked at Mr. Michaels with cool distaste. Mr. Michaels didn't seem to notice it and went on talking about how happy we would be together. I highly doubted that would be the case, but it was better to humor the man. He couldn't be as bad as Aunt June and that was the one hope I still held onto.

We didn't speak in the office. I was just motioned along behind him and out into a very beat up looking car. I got into the back seat with my duffle, which seemed to suit Jebb just fine. He started up the car and started heading east.

"I work for a living," he said suddenly making me jump even though his tone was low "I don't have time to act like your mother. You feed yourself; you clean up after yourself and don't expect me to bail you out of trouble. I don't care if you stay or if you're never home, but when those state people come, you'd better tell them what they want to hear and I'd better still be getting checks."

There was no 'or else' but it was all too clear there was one by the way he glared at me in the rear view mirror. I merely nodded, wondering if he would care enough to track me down, if I left. I didn't figure he would. He was riding the gravy train while the stuff was hot. He was in it for the money and I didn't blame him. Money was a powerful thing. For those of us who never had any of it, it was a chancy thing as well, but it made the world go 'round and it made the earth just a little bit more fairer or unfair, depending how you looked at it. I was wondering which I was when the car pulled up in front of a house in worse condition than the one Ponyboy lived in. I understood my uncle better at that moment than any other person I had ever met. I couldn't explain it, but the feeling of understanding made me temporarily forget that Jebb was banging on the window beside my head.

"This is it," he said gruffly and I nodded blankly

I followed him up to the house wondering where the day had gone. The sun was setting and I would normally be working my way back towards the bridge by now. I sighed, remembering there was nothing left for me there and that this was home, for now.

The house left little to be desired. At least it was warm. Jebb didn't speak and I got the feeling he didn't speak much as it was and when he did it was gruff and harsh. I figured the longer he stayed quiet, the happier I would be. He led me straight down the hall to where there were three doors. He pushed one open and flipped on the light.

The room was messy and well lived in, but it lacked something the rest of the house did. I glanced at the clothes on the floor, some of them bloody, and the mess on the dresser and decided Jebb must have lived with someone else. I thought for a moment that this was his room and tightened my mental grasp on my blade.

"This is the boy's room. The ungrateful little----doesn't come 'round here unless he needs something," Jebb explained and cast it a harsh look "You can share it."

He walked back down the hall and I didn't see the point in protesting. Maybe I would be out of here before I ran into the usual tenant of this room and if I wasn't there was a reasonable explanation I was sure would be ignored. I shut the door behind me and felt at least a little safe. He sun was down and what light was left cast shadows across the room, making it all the less familiar. I sat down on the bed, thinking it was more comfortable than the beds at the state home. I heard the TV blare somewhere down the hall and forced myself to relax. A car horn sounded outside somewhere and I was surprised I didn't jump three feet into the air. I guess when you're used to something it doesn't effect you so bad.

I looked out the window at the dead yard and the rusted old car. This was…home. For the first time since I got hauled in I felt miserable. I was tired out of my mind and I could feel the tears pricking the back of my eyes. I'd learned a long time ago that you're stronger to cry than not to. I pulled my duffle to my chest and slowly curled around it on the bed. The material smelled of wood smoke and dirt. It was some comfort. The bed smelled faintly like old spice and cigarettes. I knew I should have got up and made the bed up, but I didn't even manage to move enough to pull the threadbare quilt up over my shoulders. I curled my chin over the top of the bag and shut my eyes, letting tears make their way down my cheeks. I made myself believe I was outside again and that everything was all right. Mr. Christ would sing that old song of his and I'd just drift off to sleep. I took a lot longer with no Mr. Christ, but I finally managed it.

Ok, this chapter was supposed to be longer, but I have decided to separate it into this chapter and the next. Hope everyone enjoyed and reviews!

Keira: Well, she didn't stay long, as you can see and Mr. Christ wasn't really in the position to help her. Yeah, it's a story. Don't understand the sacrilegious part, but hey. Ignorance is bliss. Glad you laughed and I will dedicate things to you more often. Hope you enjoyed!

Jesus is my savior: I'll take that as a good thing. Thanks and hope you enjoyed.

Nittany Lizard: I'm glad you liked the chapter! Yeah, I couldn't see anyone warming up to someone like Mr. Christ all that quickly, either. Yeah, I know what you mean. I love little details. So many authors just leave them out. Yeah, I took out a few things from this chapter to keep people guessing because there are so many things that could happen. Anyways, thanks again. I always love reading reviews from you, even when they're months old. Hope you enjoyed!

Mischief-maker: Well, hope you're still interested! I didn't honestly mean to keep this off so far. I'm glad that those little things are present and that you're eager to get to know what happened to PT. Hope you enjoyed!

Rock: Making sense? Well, we'll see what we can do about that….;) Well, I'm to that easy to figure out! Go me! Anyways, hope you enjoyed!

Mrs. Benji Madden: Me, too. Hope you enjoyed!

Taurus: Well, we've all had weeks like those, believe me, I'm in the middle of one. I'm glad he makes you laugh. I don't think I meant him to either way, so it's all good. Evil…yes…(insert evil cackle). Hope you enjoyed and that I hear from you soon!

Two Bit's Twobit: Well, I suppose that was supposed to end with 'Sooner or later' but hey! Hope you enjoyed!

Lovewriter45: I'm glad you've enjoyed this and I will try to update it more! Hope you enjoyed!

XamberX: I'm glad you're enjoying this! Yeah, I'm enjoying keeping her from everyone. Hope you enjoyed this! I enjoy getting reviews from you!

Well, that's the end of them! Hope you all enjoyed and there's only one thing left to say:

Any comments are welcome and flames are accepted.

See ya in the funny papers!

Tens